In the Lair of Etsrodemus
by L-Birdie
Summary: book 5.5 in the Odyssey


Hallie Brooks  
  
Freshman English  
  
March 7, 2002  
  
BOOK 5 ½  
  
IN THE LAIR OF ESTRODEMUS  
  
Now great Odysseus lay buried, his eyes sealed in slumber. His body was at peace, his mind was no longer plagued by his absence from his homeland. But the god of the earthquake, the great Poseidon, stirred in the heavens for he knew Odysseus had sailed to freedom.  
  
So Poseidon, still in Ethiopia, sent word to Estrodemus, the demon of deep roots. Poseidon, not wanting to interrupt his tribute, instructed Estrodemus, "Go now, to the place where Odysseus has landed. Plant your roots deep into the earth. I will take the land from beneath Odysseus and he will fall into your house. There you will feed on him as you feed on all mortal men."  
  
Estrodemus did as the great god of the sea commanded him. Plucking his roots from the ground, the demon carried his house to the place where Odysseus rested.  
  
Odysseus slept without noticing the brittle ground beneath him. The deep- rooted demon made his way to the place where Odysseus rested his head. A mournful man slept like a newborn lamb. Beneath its mother's breast it takes shelter from harm. Warm as the new day's sun and fleece fresh as spring blossoms, the pure creature is untouchable in perfect harmony.  
  
With his roots in the island's hard soil, Estrodemus called for Poseidon, "Now I am ready to serve you, god of thunder. The dawn swiftly approaches. Open the gates so I may feed my endless hunger."  
  
The ground beneath Odysseus began to tremble, but the great Odysseus was not disturbed. The movement of the earth as it swayed did not wake him from his slumber. Now the earth opened her great mouth and swallowed Odysseus.  
  
His body fell into the demon's home. With his impact to the surface, Odysseus suddenly awoke. The lair was dark, no light shone in for this place was beneath the world where men walk. The walls were formed out of the brown earth. The air was cold and damp, full of mist and fog. The room seemed to have no end. Bodies lay scattered. Odysseus walked alone in the demon's lair. " Who has led me to this place? I know it is not a land of comfort for no man dwells here, all are dead. Who has delivered me?" cried Odysseus.  
  
" Is this the god like man who destroyed Troy? Is this the man who all mortals adore and favor above all others? Does he wear armor from his battles? Has he bled as a soldier should? Is this the great Odysseus?" asked the bloodthirsty demon.  
  
" Who has called my name? You do not speak from mortal lips. No men leave this place alive, yet their spirits are not free to roam the underworld. You trap them here; I can feel their presence, hear their cries. Why must you torture them so?"  
  
" The words of a mortal have no right to pass through my ears. There shall be silence in my house for you are a guest." The bloodthirsty Estrodemus snapped.  
  
" Then why have you not shown me proper hospitality. A host is commanded to make his guest comfortable." Odysseus replied.  
  
" This is not a house of men. I shall not be bound by the ways of mortals. You disgust me."  
  
" Tell me who you are and show yourself. You speak to me yet there is no face for me to answer to." Odysseus demanded.  
  
" I have no physical being. I am all around you. My house is my body. The branches, which grow from the tree above, are my arms. My roots are my veins, and this den is my stomach."  
  
With that, the bloodthirsty demon released his vein-like root and dug it into Odysseus's chest. Inside his body, Estrodemus searched for Odysseus's heart. His cry was muted for there was no one alive to answer him. But the Pallas Athena felt his pain for she was no mortal woman. She formed herself inside Odysseus and shielded his heart from the hungry demon. Inside his body, Athena made Odysseus's heart glow; she gave it strength to resist the demon's grasp. She was a warrior, defending her fort. Her hands held fast to his heart and kept the deep-rooted demon from reaching it.  
  
And the hungry demon said to Odysseus, "I must feed on your heart for I have been commanded to do so!"  
  
" Why must you torture men so? We have no power against the gods. But you are not a god." answered Odysseus.  
  
" I will kill you!" Estrodemus cried angrily.  
  
" There is no way to kill me, for I am already dead. I am without my family, my men and my homeland. The punishment of death would be a reward to me, yet I must fight for them, so I may see them again."  
  
Odysseus no longer feared his journey ahead for he knew that the Pallas Athena blessed him and protected him.  
  
He drew his sword and thrust it into the demon's root. Estrodemus cried out with pain, but not even Poseidon could hear him. His strength began to weaken and his power over Odysseus was dying. His roots fell from the walls and his voice was fading. Odysseus remained undefeated.  
  
The sparkling-eyed Athena now took the form of Tenedous, son of Nerphidous, brother to the king of Athens. He, too, had been trapped in Estrodemus's house and there he perished.  
  
" Is there another who now walks among us?" asked the Pallas from Tenedous's mouth.  
  
" I have killed the demon who feeds on the hearts of men. Does another man live to tell the tale of this bloodthirsty creature?" called Odysseus in response to the voice.  
  
Now all that remained of the lair was the simple structure of the open area where Estrodemus fed.  
  
" I am Tenedous of Athens, who fought the Trojans. On my journey home, my men and I camped at the edge of a forest and fell captive to this beast without a face. He killed them one by one, but I hid under the corpses and survived. My actions haunt me to this day. I betrayed my men; I was too coward to die with them. Come now, we will travel to the land above. There we will be safe from any harm this beast can do even after death. I hear the spirits leaving and the walls collapsing. We must retreat." Odysseus followed the directions of his fellow warrior and made his way to the land of men once again.  
  
" Dear man, your face tells a sad story, one of struggles and loss. Where is your home and why do you travel?" asked the Pallas as Tenedous.  
  
" I too fought the Trojans and for twenty years have been desperately trying to return to Ithaca, where I am king." Odysseus replied.  
  
" Now we rest, brother. Tomorrow we will continue on our journeys home."  
  
Now Odysseus and the bright-eyed Pallas buried themselves beneath the leaves. Odysseus quickly lost himself to slumber but Athena lay to rest the body of Tenedous. Then she kissed the great warrior's head and he lost all knowledge of the beast and his house. Odysseus's first slumber was uninterrupted. 


End file.
